Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1887-07-15
EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY.
The First Sun Picture Ever
Taken in America--HOW it
Was Done.

There are some interesting memoirs
connected with early photography in
this country. Photography dawned
on the world at about the same time
as telegraphy and at about the same
date as steam railroading. And
Morse, the lesding man in the tele-
graph, and Daguerre, the leading man
in the photograph Cat first called the
daguerreotypc), became personal
friends. and each got interested in
tho others lines-a thing which
very seldom happens to that class of
people.
Morse, when he was in Paris try
ing to push his lightning messages,
was introduced by Robert Walsh, of
Philadelphia, the American consul at
Paris, to Mons. Daguerre, who was
trying to push his sun pictures. The
two men took great fancy to each
other, just like two brothers; showed
each other their inventions and told
each other their plans. Each prom
ised to help the other after he had
first helped himself, and each kept
his promise.
Dnguerre lever got chance to be
Of much real aid to Morse in Paris,
but ne did what he could all the
same-talked enthusiastically about
the telegraph and shrugged his
shoulders enthusiastically. as only a
Frenchman can. But Morse, when
he got back to New York, took hold
of his chum Daguerre's hobby and
introduced it into the metropolis
The first telegrapher may thus be
said to have been the first photo
grapher
There was as this time in New
York fine instrument maker, almost
a genius in his way, called Prosch,
who had shop in a basement on
n assau street, very curious sort of
place; den of scientific odds and
ends, haunted by odd and scientific
men. Morse saw Prosch and gave
him full idea of Daguerre's inven-
tions, and showed him plan of the
apparatus needed to carry out Da-
queries ideas. He also gave Prosch
an order to make this apparatus
Prosch set to work and made a rude
affair, which was the first picture
taking apparatus ever made in this
country, and turned it over to Morse
And then one morning, a really men,
orable morning, in its way, Morse,
with the aid of this rude instrument,
took the first sun picture or Da.
guerreotype ever taken in America.
lie took it off of the steps leading
to Prosch's den, He placed the
camera on the steps and got pretty
good picture Of the old brick church
(the Rev. DR.. Springs church) oppo-
site the city hall-on the spot now
occupied by the Times newspaper
ard the Potter building. la the
foreground of this picture was hack
and it's sleepy horse, with its more
sleepy driver
This first daguerreotype or photo
graph was, of course, o primitive af-
fair, verse than tintpye now, but
it was, nevertheless, great, wonder
full thing under the circumstances 1t
demonstrated that pictures OF the
earth and things and people on it,
could be taken by the aid of the sun,
just as certainly and truthfully as
ideas could be transmitted by elec-
tricity and really one fact was almost
as important as the other. 1t was
truly memorable morning in New
York when Morse took the first da-
guerreotype off of Prosch's basement
steps, although it then took him
nearly an hour, all in all, to complete
the operation.
Professor Draper was great
friend of Morse and he got interested
in this new thing. He and Morse
experimental together. Draper was
great on chemistry. He soon i'm
proved on the original daguerreotype
and one day he astonished Morse by
taking his (Morse's) picture with his
eyes open, giving the natural express
ion of the eyes.
This was big step onward; for at
first all the picture taken of human
beings had to be taken with the eyes
closed, on account of the glare. I'm
agine pretty woman sitting for her
picture and having not only to hold
her tongue but close her eyes-shut
her eyes as we'll as shut up. 1t
would be as hard that way to have
your picture taken as your tooth
taken.
Draper and Morse used to take
their early pictures from window of
the old university building, where
Morse lived One of their successful
pictures was the tower of the Church
of Messiah, about the size of play
ing card. The first pictures were all
of them pictures of buildings, streets
and 80 on. But at last Morse took
portrait-put the human face and fig.
ure into sun picture This was
step onward and upward; for as
Morse took his first object picture on
the steps leading to Prosch's cellar,
so he took his first face and figure
picture on top of the university build
ing, in sort OF studio he had erect
ed there on the roof, and which was
the first Photographic studio" ever
started in America.
The first lady whose picture was
ever taken by the sunlight in this
city was the young daughter of Prof.
Morse. The next lady taken was his
daughters bosom friend, and the pic
lures taken of these two are still in
existence among the choicest curiosi-
ties and treasures of Vassar college.
The first man in New York who
made o regular business of taking
pictures or photographs was the in
strument maker Prosch, whom have
already mentioned. Prosch saw
big thing in it, and opened what he
called "daguerring gallery" on the
corner of Liberty street and Broad
way His first sitter and customer
was Professor West, of the old Rut-
gers female institute, who was thus
the very first man who ever paid to
have his photograph taken, all the
other pictures up to this time having
been taken as an experiment, free.
But the Professor paid for his pic
| lures like q man, and from that time